Jools_of_Top_Cat
New member
Had our mast unstepped Friday midday, after a mix up of times missed our slot at the dock and had to beg marina staff to give us 30 minutes to lift off. The marina crane has been knackered for 3 weeks so got permission to bring another companies onto the plot.
Friday afternoon about 4pm got back to mast after putting Top Cat back onto mooring, drinking coffee's and nursing hyperthermia. The unstepping was to fit my new RADAR and cheek blocks for lazy jack system. First job was a thourgh inspection, to my horror the forestay was opened at the top, we had had lots of problems with the roller reefing in 2002 and I think this was probably when the damage was caused. Decided to raid savings and change the lot, it was all in pretty poorly condition.
We shot straight over to Partingtons to explain our situation and the urgency as the crane was booked for Monday to step the mast. No problems says Will, bring all the rigging in in the morning and we will try and get it all done for you. So back we rush as light is fading and remove all the standing rigging in the car headlights, had you walked through the yard after we had left you would have been treated to numerous tools that we left out. At this time there was still 2in of snow on the ground, so I was shivering like crazy.
Saturday morning and the 3 of us, Will, SWMBO and I remake all our rigging only to find out we have not got enough 5mm wire to complete the job. End up buying wire from his competitior, which he took on the chin, but I really needed the job done. A further inspection of the rig showed worn pins at the top of the mast and 4 broken rivets on the roller reefing. All my rivets were too long for this job and we ended up finding the last ones on the Llyn peninuslar at Dickies. Oh yes, broke the sheer pin one the o/b by hitting rocks leaving the fuel pontoon Friday night, have been sculling all weekend to keep warm.
Fitted my RADAR and rewired the mast including putting the navtex and active aerial at the masthead to see if we get a better signal away from noise. Rigger came over from Partingtons and fitted a Staylok at the top of the forestay on Monday morning. The first one broke! he had tightened it so far to bend the wires over the cone, then tried to release it to fit sealant and locktight, it siezed solid. I had also broken all 4 mounting bolts for the bracket on my scanstrut, I had fitted them to locate the feet on the mast, when attempting to remove them they also siezed, and then sheered. It was not my weekend.
So I would like to thank Partingtons for pulling out the stops and building my rigging at such short notice. I would also like to thank the weather for being so damn miserable and icy that stopped them being out on jobs all day Saturday so that we could carry out said work in the sheds. Also I would like to thank the marina who telephoned me 10 minutes before my crane was due to arrive to restep to tell me their crane was now fixed and would I like to book it, " I know" says I, " I have been watching your guys working on it while I have my mast on the deck here".
Now to tell my insurance company they can strike another of those jobs off my to do list.
<hr width=100% size=1>Julian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Top Cat Homepage</A>
Friday afternoon about 4pm got back to mast after putting Top Cat back onto mooring, drinking coffee's and nursing hyperthermia. The unstepping was to fit my new RADAR and cheek blocks for lazy jack system. First job was a thourgh inspection, to my horror the forestay was opened at the top, we had had lots of problems with the roller reefing in 2002 and I think this was probably when the damage was caused. Decided to raid savings and change the lot, it was all in pretty poorly condition.
We shot straight over to Partingtons to explain our situation and the urgency as the crane was booked for Monday to step the mast. No problems says Will, bring all the rigging in in the morning and we will try and get it all done for you. So back we rush as light is fading and remove all the standing rigging in the car headlights, had you walked through the yard after we had left you would have been treated to numerous tools that we left out. At this time there was still 2in of snow on the ground, so I was shivering like crazy.
Saturday morning and the 3 of us, Will, SWMBO and I remake all our rigging only to find out we have not got enough 5mm wire to complete the job. End up buying wire from his competitior, which he took on the chin, but I really needed the job done. A further inspection of the rig showed worn pins at the top of the mast and 4 broken rivets on the roller reefing. All my rivets were too long for this job and we ended up finding the last ones on the Llyn peninuslar at Dickies. Oh yes, broke the sheer pin one the o/b by hitting rocks leaving the fuel pontoon Friday night, have been sculling all weekend to keep warm.
Fitted my RADAR and rewired the mast including putting the navtex and active aerial at the masthead to see if we get a better signal away from noise. Rigger came over from Partingtons and fitted a Staylok at the top of the forestay on Monday morning. The first one broke! he had tightened it so far to bend the wires over the cone, then tried to release it to fit sealant and locktight, it siezed solid. I had also broken all 4 mounting bolts for the bracket on my scanstrut, I had fitted them to locate the feet on the mast, when attempting to remove them they also siezed, and then sheered. It was not my weekend.
So I would like to thank Partingtons for pulling out the stops and building my rigging at such short notice. I would also like to thank the weather for being so damn miserable and icy that stopped them being out on jobs all day Saturday so that we could carry out said work in the sheds. Also I would like to thank the marina who telephoned me 10 minutes before my crane was due to arrive to restep to tell me their crane was now fixed and would I like to book it, " I know" says I, " I have been watching your guys working on it while I have my mast on the deck here".
Now to tell my insurance company they can strike another of those jobs off my to do list.
<hr width=100% size=1>Julian
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Top Cat Homepage</A>
